Monday, November 29, 2010

I finally was well enough to head out for my first run on my new ski stuff! I was so excited and it was DUMPING snow, which is always fun:) So off to Telluride we went! The land of money:)

I'm in the process of uploading some videos to my YouTube channel so if you get a moment, go to YouTube and search for laurenhall17 channel and check em out, kind of funny:)

I'm not really any good at all but I'm getting better and it is great cross training for cycling and plus it is at 9,000ft AND it is a great mental break! It was a ball of fun and I hope to get to go again in the next couple of days. For a while there wasn't much snow at all but after the storm that just blew through, things should be well covered and hopefully the trails will be groomed soon. Up next? Back to warm weather some where to get in some long rides or back to the velodrome, we shall see!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Yahooooo!!! I love the UPS guy:) in a package receiving way that is....plus he gives Miller treats....I'm a bit under the weather but hot tea helps a ton! Hoping to give the skis a go this weekend....Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

So I'm back in Colorado now, we drove through a bit of snow in Flagstaff, it was interesting because it was slippery!! We saw one guy almost drive off the road, swing back over, all the way to the right side of the road and save it(glad we weren't closer!)

So the last days of the Velodrome felt so good, I would've loved to have stayed but I needed to see my pup too:) Maybe next time he can come along for the ride, the Tanners already gave me permission! Like my dad always said, we will see.

So on the last day, I did a flying 3k and a 500 sprint. I think I put up pretty good times so hopefully I'm headed back sooner than later but that is up to the coaches to decide. Here is a link to two videos, I don't know why it wasn't posted to YouTube but anyway...

Friday, November 19, 2010

Day 5 I think? Anyway, more circles=more comfy on the track...:) So that's what I'm doing and I'm still learning!!! I'm lucky to be surrounded by awesome people, teaching me something every time we do a lap....

I thought today was the last day but I got to swing one more in there.....so tomorrow(Saturday) will be the last day-again another opportunity to learn! Roger has really been patient and very clear and concise in what he wants me to do and then he leaves me in the good hands of trained professionals.....

After 2 glasses of wine, some grilled chicken and such...I'm officially pooped.....I have some video I will upload probably when I get back to Colorado(Sunday or Monday) so be on the lookout. My nordic stuff should be in before Thanksgiving as well, so more pictures and adventures(snow pending of course) to be had!

The first 2 pictures are of the velodrome, just walking inside and the first impression. Felt bicycles are the neutral bikes available for people like me so they have 2 Felts at the front.This is the elusive Michael Engleman on a bike!!! He is rarely caught on camera riding his bike these days, so I'm pretty sure he is making a comeback with Alexi Grewal :)This is the bike trail that we ride to and from the different roads.Jet Tanner, what a great guide!I wonder where all these people are going???? All times of the day, both ways, it is always busy.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

So another 2 days at the track and another 2 learning sessions. I've also enjoyed going a couple of hours early to watch others and what their training sessions are. Yesterday was a group of kids, YES KIDS!, looking to age from 10-16, going around in circles with no problem at all, it was very impressive. I guess when you are that age you really don't have much to fear and all new things are still fun-hmm, I just described myself:) hehehe

I liked the drills they were doing, the coach was pretty much forcing them to look around and be comfortable with people above and below them....

So my training included:

Day 3-We warmed up with 40 or so laps, then Roger says, "Ok, we are going to do 140 laps...." and then I heard blah, blah, blah...:) I knew I could do it because we did 100 laps the previous session but these laps were going to get progressively faster every 20 laps, so I did my best and hung on as long as I could(seeing I have a really small gear to learn with) which was about 43 laps to go, I was happy with that. And then Dena Eaton and I did 2 sprints, after that, I reallllllyyy needed to change my saddle or something had to give, SERIOUSLY! So I asked Roger if it was ok to change the saddle for next session.

Day 4-Another good warmup-80 laps and this time I wasn't protected by an awesome wheel to follow, so I was actually following a guy that would serge and drop(more room please). After the warmup it was time to work on more sprints, again, getting more comfortable and reliable as well.

I totally understand why the track is so rule oriented. If one person doesn't have a clue what they are doing or what the rules are, it wouldn't take long for something bad to happen. There are so many people and we are going around so fast and there is no way to slow down....

Another day today, one more tomorrow, then we will see what the future holds. In the mean time, I will do easy road spins, rest, eat....oh and take random pictures:) Like the strawberry fields, smog, traffic:)

Sunday, November 14, 2010

So I've made it to beautiful Irvine, CA to visit the Tanner family and give it a go on the track. While I'm doing this whole cycling as a lifestyle bit, I want to try every aspect of cycling.

So this is how my racing career goes:

My first stage race-with Amber Neben and the Nurinberg team

My first cyclocross race-UCI against Katie Compton and the crew..

So my first track experience-LA Velodrome, where the likes of Lance Armstrong, Kristin Armstrong and some of the world's best perfect their skills.

This is day 2 and I've fallen in love....

Day 1: Here is a track bike, here are the different positions on the track, here is how to clip in...go....My thoughts, "I'm nervous" "Look at the banking on this thing!" "This feels weird" "I wanna know how fast I'm going" "I want to go faster" "This is AWESOME!"

Day 2: Learn how to ride in a paceline, then some moto following along with madison practicing(or something like it)....My thougts, "I'm nervous" "Look at all these people" "I love going fast" "This is REALLY fast" "I feel sorry for the guy that I'm 'pushing' cause I think he is doing a lot of work b/c I'm not very comfortable with all this yet" "I think the guy just got a bit more of a push" "This is AWESOME!" "My girl stuff is KILLING ME"

So tomorrow is a day off, we will do an easy 2hr ride, then get back after it on Tuesday-I really look forward to it.

Monday, November 8, 2010

As soon as I got home it was time to carve a pumpkin! One of my favorite fall activities:) If I had time I would've loved to have dressed up in something totally scary to scare the crap out of all the kids but I had a cyclocross race in Durango instead...ahh poooo! So I flew home on Thursday, carved pumpkins on Friday, rode my cyclocross bike for the first time all year on Saturday, raced on Sunday and was able to pull off 3rd place...NICE!

Then I had the hack for the rest of the night. For those that don't know...this is when you race your bike so hard, your lungs have this burning sensation, you taste blood in your throat and post race you hack like you've been smoking the last 20 years of your life.....I wonder if it is healthy? Any doctors reading this have any input? Or MENSA folks? You know who you are;)!

This past weekend we had 2 more cross races and again I finished 3rd in both of those.....I'm solidifying my position there....

Saturday's race was here in Dolores and the sweetest girl in the world came to town to race, Teal-Stetson Lee(she races for CalGiant Specialized this year), last year she raced for Fort Lewis College and won Collegiate Cyclocross Nats. And I swear she is the nicest competitor I've ever met! Anywho, she took first and Carmen Small(I'm just gonna start calling her 'train' because she has this HUGE engine that I can't keep up with) took second, me third.

Sunday's race in Cortez had an awesome BMX pump track incorporated into the course, I LOVED that part! But unfortunately I managed to drop my chain while trying to solidify 2nd to the 'train'. As I was putting my chain back on, I fell to 4th-time to go......I caught right back up to 2nd and 3rd, passed 3rd and stayed in that position for a bit, putting pressure on Shannon(top ranked mtn biker, nothing like living near Durango right). I passed her in the sand pit and was going to put more pressure on both of us by going faster and making it hurt, well I ended up sliding out TWICE!!! She passed me and held me off the last 2 laps....but I enjoyed the race, I think I was smiling the entire time.

Anywho, I've been working on my spin this past week, preparing to go to the track. My cadence is usually around 90 but for track I need to have it ramped up to like 110-125 rpms, which is totally opposite of cyclocross-that's more like 80 and grinding...

I don't know the specifics yet, like when I'm leaving, how long, what I'm doing, pretty much anything;) except that this has been my best chance to go so I'm preparing as best I can.

There hasn't been any snow yet here in the four corners but maybe that will all be changing tonight! It has been getting semi cold but no weather to go along with the cold just makes it all boring, I guess it has been a bit of a blessing since I'm having to ride my road bike for training still so ok, it can hold off one more day;)

The finished products! Mine is bottom left...it's a witchKen working on his gourd, no pumpkins for him just gourds.....Laura, always loving on the dogs, sittin on the floor....I miss her already and she hasn't even left yet...BillieRay and AngieRay, they are awesome!